Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
508
South of Sedona, near the junction of I-17 and Ariz. 179, you can visit one of the
premier petroglyph sites in Arizona. The rock art at the
V Bar V Heritage Site
(
&
928/
282-3854;
www.redrockcountry.org) covers a small cliff face and includes images of
herons and turtles. To get here, take the dirt road that leads east for 2
2
/
3
miles from the
junction of I-17 and Ariz. 179 to the Beaver Creek Campground. The entrance to the
petroglyph site is just past the campground. From the parking area, it's about a half-mile
walk to the petroglyphs, which are open Friday through Monday from 9:30am to 3pm.
To visit this site, you'll need a Red Rock Pass or another valid pass.
OAK CREEK CANYON
The
Mogollon Rim
(pronounced “
Mug-
ee-un” by the locals) is a 2,000-foot escarpment
cutting diagonally across central Arizona and on into New Mexico. At the top of the
Mogollon Rim are the ponderosa pine forests of the high mountains, while at the bottom
the lowland deserts begin. Of the many canyons cutting down from the rim, Oak Creek
Canyon is the most beautiful (and one of the few that has a paved road down through
it). Ariz. 89A runs through the canyon from just outside Flagstaff to Sedona, winding its
way down from the rim and paralleling Oak Creek. Along the way are overlooks, parks,
picnic areas, campgrounds, and a variety of lodges and inns.
Approaching Oak Creek Canyon from the north, your first stop after traveling south
from Flagstaff will be the
Oak Creek Canyon Vista,
which provides a view far down the
valley to Sedona and beyond. The overlook is at the edge of the Mogollon Rim, and the
road suddenly drops in tight switchbacks just south of here. You may notice that one rim
of the canyon is lower than the other. This is because Oak Creek Canyon is on a geologic
fault line; one side of the canyon is moving in a different direction from the other.
Although the top of the Mogollon Rim is a ponderosa pine forest and the bottom a
desert, Oak Creek Canyon supports a forest of sycamores and other deciduous trees.
There is no better time to drive scenic Ariz. 89A than between late September and mid-
October, when the canyon is ablaze with red and yellow leaves.
In the desert, swimming holes are powerful magnets during the hot summer months,
and consequently,
Slide Rock State Park,
6871 N. U.S. 89A (
&
928/282-3034;
www.
azstateparks.com), 7 miles north of Sedona on the site of an old homestead, is the most
popular spot in Oak Creek Canyon during the summer. What pulls in the crowds of
families and teenagers is the park's natural water slide and great little swimming hole. On
hot days, the park is jammed with people splashing in the water and sliding over the
algae-covered sandstone bottom of Oak Creek. Sunbathing and fishing are other popular
pastimes. The park is open daily; admission is $8 per vehicle ($10 during the summer).
Within Oak Creek Canyon, several hikes of different lengths are possible. By far
the most spectacular and popular is the 6-mile round-trip up the
West Fork of Oak
Creek
. This is a classic canyon-country hike, with steep canyon walls rising from the
creek. At some points, the canyon is no more than 20 feet wide, with walls rising up more
than 200 feet. You can also extend the hike many more miles up the canyon for an over-
night backpacking trip. The trail head for the West Fork of Oak Creek hike is 9.5 miles
up Oak Creek Canyon from Sedona at the Call of the Canyon Recreation Area, which
charges an $8 day-use fee per vehicle unless you have already purchased a weekly Red
Rock Pass.
Stop by the Sedona Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center for a free map of area
hikes. The
Coconino National Forest's Red Rock Ranger District,
8375 Ariz. 179
(
&
928/203-2900;
www.redrockcountry.org), just south of the Village of Oak Creek on
15
